By Tyler BallContributor to ncataggies.comGREENSBORO
- For a while, it look as if
the North Carolina A&T men's basketball team had finally taken control of
Saturday night's hard-fought game against Morgan State. The Aggies had a
five-point lead with 4:21 remaining in the contest.

Unfortunately,
the home team managed to score just one point the rest of the way, as bad shot
selection and two critical turnovers
allowed for the Bears to rally and pull out a 55-52 victory in Corbett Sports
Center.

"We had
the game in control," said a disappointed Aggies head coach Cy Alexander. "But
we played without discipline in the last five minutes, and it cost us. We made
very bad decisions and didn't finish in the clutch."

Adrian
Powell's layup gave the Aggies a 51-46 lead at the 4:21 mark, which proved to
be the largest lead for the hosts. Dewayne Jackson answered with a layup, while
Anthony Hubbard connected on a 3-pointer to cut the Aggie lead to 52-51 with
2:10 left.

A&T
had three chances to extend the lead, but Lamont Middleton's jumper fell short,
Powell missed a layup off a steal, and Jeremy Underwood mishandled the ball on
the offensive rebound. In the scramble for the loose ball, Justin Black picked
it up and found a wide open Hubbard alone on the other end for a layup and a
53-52 Bears advantage.

Middleton
could not get off a shot on the Aggies ensuing possession, which led to a turnover
and a Morgan State free throw. Powell tried to give A&T the lead with a
3-pointer, but had it partially blocked by Jackson. Hubbard knocked down
another free throw with five seconds remaining. Underwood's last-second attempt
went long as the Aggies dropped to 9-11 overall and 2-3 in the MEAC.

"We have
to execute better in those situations," Alexander said about Powell's attempt
with the Aggies down two. "We went over every possible scenario (in the
timeout) and wanted a quick two. I understand if the shots come in the flow of
the offense, but if we aren't shooting well, we may need to hold off (taking a
3-pointer) and get a better shot."

The
Aggies held the Bears to 39.3 percent shooting, but struggle to score as well,
hitting just 36.5 percent, including 4-for-21 from 3-point range.

"We had
been playing well recently, and had a really good week of practice," Alexander
said. "But we didn't execute or hit free throws. I take responsibility for
that. Our guys have to play better, and not let our offense dictate how we play
on the defensive end."

Jackson
finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Ian Childs finished with 14 points
and 10 rebounds to lead Morgan State (6-10, 3-2 MEAC). Powell led the Aggies
with 12 points, while Jean Louisme added 10.

"As
poorly as we played, we had a five-point lead and control of the game," said
Alexander. "I want our men, especially our seniors, to continue to be smart and
play with discipline as we continue to grow and move forward in the MEAC. We'll
get back in the gym tomorrow and get prepared for Coppin State."

The
Aggies get a chance to regroup Monday night when they face Coppin State at
Corbett Sports Center at 8.